The next interview is with Thomas Ok. Slee, writer of “Kind 14B: Software for Certification of Consciousness Switch (Publish-Mortem).” A narrative for followers of Black Mirror and Severance: the digital consciousness of a lately deceased influencer wants a brand new physique to restart his life, however should survive a reminiscence audit first.
Interviewer: Joni Labaqui, Contest Director of Writers & Illustrators of the Future.
Observe: There are 12 writer winners annually within the contest, and one 1st place winner amongst these every quarter. These 4 authors compete for the L. Ron Hubbard Golden Pen Award which is introduced on the Annual Gala! The winner can be awarded $5,000. Michael is among the proficient contenders!
Joni: Are you able to share the spark of inspiration behind your profitable story? What real-world occasion, private expertise, or imaginative “what if” second ignited the concept?
Thomas: My story began life as a thumbnail sketch whereas brainstorming story concepts for Advert Astra’s Science into Fiction workshop (Advert Astra SF – Science of SF Writing Workshop). Run by Chris McKitterick each Autumn from his house in Kansas (a little bit of an extended commute, being from Australia, so I dial in through Discord), the workshop runs for 8 weeks and tackles a single facet of science fiction by way of story brainstorming, 6 weeks of targeted readings, after which a suggestions workshop on what we’ve written.
The 2023 workshop was targeted on Synthetic Intelligence, and I had a blast developing with bizarre and wacky concepts. (What in case you created an AI-bot based mostly solely on the “A Florida Man…” Twitter feed and gave it a physique? What if an industrial management system grew to become sentient and didn’t need to work anymore?) My profitable story began out with one thing like: What varieties would it’s worthwhile to fill out in case you have been a lately deceased consciousness in want of a brand new physique? Paperwork could be a ache within the arse at the perfect of occasions, however if you don’t even have an arse…
From there it sat in a Google Doc gathering mud whereas I completed the third draft of my soon-to-be debut novel. Solely as soon as that was completed did I let myself blow the cobwebs off that checklist of story concepts and begin writing them. My profitable story was the second, however there are about twenty-five on the checklist and I’m solely as much as the fifth (one grew to become a novel, woops). The plan is to, at some point, compile the perfect of them into an AI-themed anthology.
Joni: How did you first fall in love with writing science fiction or fantasy? Was there a specific e book, writer, or life occasion that drew you into the style and satisfied you to pursue it professionally?
Thomas: It began after I was seven, when my dad introduced house a VHS of Star Wars. The primary novel I ever learn was Ambush at Corellia by Roger MacBride Allen. I then labored my manner by way of each Star Wars Expanded Universe and Discworld novel within the native library, earlier than graduating to my dad’s drawers of commerce paperbacks: Christie and Chandler, Asimov and Heinlein, Crichton and Clancy, Forsyth and MacLean.
As a toddler I wrote Dinotopia-inspired tales, as a young person I wrote Warhammer 40k campaigns, at college I wrote essays, and at work I write studies. I had at all times toyed round with story concepts however had by no means accomplished something about it. Then I learn American Psycho (unbelievable, disgusting, disturbing e book. I’ll always remember it, and I by no means need to learn it ever once more) and, I’m nonetheless not fairly certain why, it impressed me to write down one in every of my tales down. The very first thing I wrote down sucked, however then the second factor wasn’t fairly so unhealthy. Then the pandemic hit and I discovered I had an entire lot of spare time on my palms and a novel simply ready to be written…
Wanting again, it’s completely no shock that the whole lot I write tends to hold a little bit of sci-fi, in addition to a great dose of fine old school crime thriller. My debut novel, Challenge Gateway, is a technothriller within the Michael Crichton vein, following three billionaires as they struggle to manage the primary ever teleportation system, and the journalist decided to reveal their crimes. For anybody , the primary chapter is accessible totally free on my web site: Challenge Gateway Free Preview.
Joni: As a debut writer within the Writers of the Future contest, what challenges did you face in the course of the submission course of, and the way did overcoming them form your progress as a author?
Thomas: The competition itself may be very simple to undergo — principally zero barrier to entry — and the grading system is a pleasant pat on the again, letting you understand you’re on the right track. The very best factor about it’s it encourages you to maintain writing, web page after web page, day after day, and quarter after quarter.
The opposite factor it encourages is experimentation. Doing the identical factor again and again, re-writing the identical story, or revisiting the identical tropes received’t assist you to take the step from honourable point out to semi-finalist, or finalist to winner.
On the finish of the day, that’s all there may be to it. Writers write, writers strive new issues, writers be taught, they usually do it as typically as they’ll. It’s a reasonably easy enterprise (other than all of the arduous work and low pay, haha).
Joni: What themes in your story do you hope resonate most with readers, and the way do they mirror your views on the world or the long run?
Thomas: In a manner, my story is in regards to the significance of crimson tape. I’m an engineer day-to-day, so perhaps I’ve a bizarre perspective on the significance of rules and customary requirements. However as irritating as all these procedures and processes are, I do know they’re in place for an excellent purpose — a purpose that appears fairly summary till it completely isn’t.
I really feel very fortunate to be watching the chaos within the US and elsewhere from the relative security of Australia, and one factor that Trump has proven us all is the significance of guardrails on the train of energy. We’ve seen earlier than, and we’re seeing once more, what occurs when the principles solely apply to some however to not others.
Now, my story is nowhere close to the identical scale. It’s a narrative about one individual caught in a bureaucratic nightmare. But it surely’s additionally about what occurs when the individual you belief decides to desert the principles and take benefit in a second of disaster. It’s about how unhealthy it might get when there’s nothing and no-one left to guard you, and it’s a few dogged public servant doing her greatest to carry all of it collectively.
Joni: Wanting again, what’s one piece of recommendation you’d give to aspiring writers coming into contests like Writers of the Future, based mostly by yourself path to changing into a quarterly first-place winner?
Thomas: Do your greatest to search out your writing neighborhood. There are such a lot of proficient writers on the market, so don’t suppose you’re on this by yourself, and don’t be afraid of them. They’re not competitors. If you will discover them and determine a technique to work collectively, you’ll be amazed at how shortly you’ll all enhance.
About 18 months in the past I came upon a few speculative fiction writing group in my house metropolis of Melbourne known as Meridian Australis. Again then we have been a bunch of nerds and refugees from nice arts applications who wished to write down about witches and robots. Quick ahead to now: I’ve 25 new mates, we’ve got two anthologies (AUSTRAL 2025 – Meridian Australis), the best-paying spec fiction annual journal in Australia (CRUX – Meridian Australis), have introduced on the significance of speculative fiction on the Rising Writers Competition, and have stalls at all the main e book festivals and conventions to promote our personal and our members’ work. My profitable story was the primary story I submitted to my new MA writing group, and I’ve little doubt their suggestions helped it win.
Discovering your individuals makes all of the distinction on this planet.
Joni: Past writing, what hobbies or passions affect your storytelling, and the way may they play a job in your future works?
Thomas: In my day job I’m an engineer and I work primarily in emissions discount for the gasoline and electrical energy industries. Most of my fiction tends to be set within the close to future and is knowledgeable by a number of the issues I see on this planet needing options. Most of my work is kind of cynical. Issues don’t get solved, or in the event that they do, these options then get co-opted by greed or selfishness, satisfaction, or the insidious nature of the share market. So I suppose that tells you a bit about how I see the world.
However, I do love unhealthy motion films, catastrophe films — something with oiled biceps and massive explosions. So on the flip-side of my techno-thrillers with a message, I even have a raft of concepts for giant dumb spectacles designed to be ripped by way of in a weekend whereas sitting on the seaside and consuming a beer. (Confession: they are going to most likely nonetheless have a dig or two at our company overlords, although, as a result of I can’t bloody assist myself).
In the future, I’d like to have one thing I’ve written became a film. Wouldn’t all of us?
Joni: As we strategy the gala, what are you most enthusiastic about—whether or not it’s networking with business professionals, seeing your story in print, or the fun of competing for the grand prize?
Thomas: With the gala and the workshop itself, I’m most excited to fulfill the opposite writers and illustrators, to make some new mates, to learn some enjoyable new tales, and get writing collectively!
Additionally, it will likely be my first time within the US, so I’m trying ahead to getting on the market and taking advantage of the California climate, consuming some good Mexican meals, and seeing just a few sights. We’ll be making a visit of it (we’re from Australia, and it’s a bloody lengthy flight for only a week), so I’m pleased to take suggestions from any of your readers who’ve been out that manner earlier than!
Joni Labaqui
Thomas Ok. Slee
Make sure you preorder Writers of the Future Quantity 42 so you might be one of many first to learn Thomas’ “Kind 14B: Software for Certification of Consciousness Switch (Publish-Mortem),” together with the opposite 11 debut authors, award-winning illustrators, and bonus tales by sci-fi legend Orson Scott Card and Nina Kiriki Hoffmen.
Joni Labaqui, Contest Director of Writers & Illustrators of the Future.
Thomas Ok Slee is an Australian engineer, author, and reader with too many books on the shelf ready to be learn and too many concepts scribbled illegibly in notebooks ready to be written.
Writers of the Future Hyperlinks:
Writers of the Future Vol 42: https://www.amazon.com/Ron-Hubbard-Presents-Writers-Future/dp/1619869004
Writers of the Future Collection: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XXCD2DQ
Enter the Writing Contest: https://www.writersofthefuture.com/enter-writer-contest/
Free Writing Workshop: https://www.writersofthefuture.com/writing-workshop/
Writing Podcast: https://www.writersofthefuture.com/podcast/
Writers Discussion board: https://www.writersofthefuture.com/discussion board/
Annual Awards Gala:
Leave a Reply